by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – European leaders rallied around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday as Ukraine marked 35 years of independence and its fifth Independence Day since Russia’s full-scale invasion, while senior representatives of the administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump were notably absent.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on his first overseas trip since taking office, joined European Council President António Costa and other senior European officials for commemorations and talks as Kyiv sought additional military support, particularly desperately needed air-defense missiles.
The leaders also gathered for talks involving the “Coalition of the Willing,” countries seeking to provide security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace settlement, with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz joining remotely.
“We will continue to provide as much support as necessary for as long as necessary,” Costa said alongside Zelenskyy, extending that commitment beyond the war to Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union.
“International law must prevail. Russia will not prevail,” Costa stressed. “The European Union cannot be neutral when international law is being violated. We are not neutral. We are Ukrainian supporters.”
U.S. ENVOYS ABSENT
Notably absent were Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who did not travel to Kyiv despite expectations that Independence Day could provide an opportunity for their first visit to Ukraine.
Neither has visited Kyiv since taking prominent roles in Washington’s diplomatic efforts to end the war, despite repeated contacts with Russian officials and several visits by Witkoff to Moscow.
However, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Keith Kellogg, Trump’s former special envoy for Ukraine, traveled to Kyiv over the weekend and attended events surrounding the anniversary.
The gathering came as the European Union separately pledged 6.1 billion euros ($7.1 billion) for Ukraine’s air and missile defense systems, missiles, ammunition and radars.
Burnham compared Ukraine’s resistance against Russia to Britain’s fight against Nazi Germany, telling Ukrainians: “My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century, you hold that flame in the 21st.”
PRICE OF INDEPENDENCE
Zelenskyy used the anniversary to recall doubts about whether Ukraine could survive as an independent state and Western intelligence assessments before Russia’s full-scale invasion suggesting Kyiv could fall within days or weeks.
“But Ukrainians restored the independence of their state, and we will definitely protect the independence of Ukraine. No doubt about it,” he said.
“Ukrainians will not be cobblestones under the feet of tsars and rulers. Ukrainians will not submit,” Zelenskyy said. “Ukrainians will not be bargaining chips in disputes between capitals.”
“And they will definitely not abandon their own dream—the dream of living independently,” he added.
The commemorations also reflected the enormous human cost of preserving that independence. Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska began the day by honoring fallen defenders, while families of soldiers killed defending the country received posthumous state honors.
FIFTH WARTIME ANNIVERSARY
There was no traditional military parade through central Kyiv. Instead, Ukraine displayed domestically produced drones and other defense technologies that have become increasingly important to its war effort.
The anniversary came amid intensified Russian missile and drone attacks and growing concerns about Ukraine’s ability to protect its cities and critical infrastructure.
Zelenskyy has said deliveries of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors have fallen significantly even as Russia increases its use of ballistic missiles. Kyiv is seeking hundreds of additional interceptors ahead of winter.
When Russian forces advanced rapidly toward Kyiv in February 2022, Western intelligence assessments suggested the Ukrainian capital could fall within days or weeks. Six months later, Ukraine marked its first Independence Day while facing full-scale war.
Monday marked the fifth—and underscored that Ukraine remains independent more than four years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.
Yet the armed conflict has brought massive suffering and economic costs, with Ukraine heavily dependent on military and financial support from its allies.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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European leaders rallied around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday as Ukraine marked 35 years of independence and its fifth Independence Day since Russia’s full-scale invasion, while senior representatives of the administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump were notably absent.
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